Whenever you create a hole of any kind, make sure your line of sight is flush with the side of the wall. Enemies can still shoot you through soft walls, and you want the exchange to be fair — because if they can see your barrel while you cannot see them, you lose. They already know your position and how close you are.
The exception is when you are deliberately building a one-way, where you can see and shoot them before they can see you. Do not build that kind of hole on site unless you know exactly why you are doing it.
Rotates are what let you move through a site without exposing yourself. Good map knowledge lets you place them where they not only serve you but funnel the other team into positions you can kill from.
Be careful: a rotate placed a certain way can open a line of sight through both bomb sites at once. That is usually bad, because your team still needs to move around.
Crouch Rotates Create a one-way, or at least make crossing harder. They usually expose your barrel first.
Vault Rotates Provide cover for your body and force attackers into a vaulting animation if they commit into site. They also give you a way to cross without being seen.
Head Holes Hide the majority of your body while creating a line of sight you can shoot through. The remaining soft wall acts as a partial barrier, so you take less damage than you would fully exposed.
Feet Holes Create a one-way that gives you the advantage as an opponent crosses through an area.
Vertical Holes Cut into the floor, played from above or below while waiting for someone to walk past.
Kill Holes Usually placed above head height to create an off-angle attackers do not expect, making you a much harder target. Best facing a staircase, or positioned so you can throw C4 through them.
Rotation Holes Placed to let defenders move between rooms without going through contested space.
Drone Holes Small openings that let a drone pass through so attackers can scout without exposure.
Standard Barricade Three melee hits to break. Two hits to open a vault. Twenty bullets to destroy. Two bullets to remove an individual panel.
Castle Barricade Nine melee hits to break.
Soft Hatches Excellent for C4 plays, because placing a charge on one produces audio. Breakable with DMRs, and easier with shotguns. Kali’s rifle destroys one in a single shot.
Reinforced Hatches Can be electrified with Kaid’s Electroclaw.
Roof Hatches Usually impossible to reinforce unless you can get onto the roof. Excellent for throwing C4 through based on audio.
Aruni’s gate can be deployed on hatches as well as doorways and windows.
This chapter is from The Principles of Competitive Siege, a free guide by Szhutsen K. Liang. SiegeIQ puts the same thinking on your own clips: upload a round and get a breakdown of what actually went wrong. Try it free.